Charles welcomes filmmaker and music collector Steve Herold to Seeing Them Live. Steve recounts his first concert, the Thompson Twins’ 1984 Into the Gap tour at New Jersey’s Garden State Arts Center, after missing a chance to see Van Halen at Madison Square Garden. He names Dramarama at the Fast Lane in Asbury Park in the early ’90s as his best concert, describing packed, punk-like club energy, and cites a disappointing Jeff the Brotherhood show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken that felt like nonstop jamming. His most surprising show was the Sex Pistols’ 1996 Roseland Ballroom reunion in NYC, including a wild night that ended with finding a $50 bill on the floor. Steve also discusses his COVID-era YouTube channel about vinyl/CD collecting and record-store visits, and his film work, including Death of an Umbrella Salesman, Waimea, and recent music videos.

Seeing Them Live

[email protected] (Steve Herold, Charles Zona)

S04.E08 – Steve Comes Clean About His First Concert

MAY 5, 202647 MIN
Seeing Them Live

S04.E08 – Steve Comes Clean About His First Concert

MAY 5, 202647 MIN

Description

In this episode, Charles interviews filmmaker and vinyl enthusiast Steve Herold, best known for the award-winning short film Death of an Umbrella Salesman. Steve takes us back to the summer of 1984 and his first concert — the Thompson Twins on their Into the Gap tour at the Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey. He shares how the show almost didn't happen, thanks to a failed attempt to see Van Halen at Madison Square Garden, and how that near-miss planted the seed for a lifetime of concert-going. The real coming-of-age concert moment, Steve admits, came two years later when he finally saw David Lee Roth on his debut solo tour — a far wilder introduction to arena rock than the Thompson Twins had provided. Steve opens up about his most memorable concert experiences, including his best-ever shows: the New Jersey alternative band Dramarama at the legendary Fast Lane in Asbury Park in the early '90s. Those packed, sweat-soaked club nights — where getting to the bathroom was nearly impossible and crowd surfing was mandatory — turned Steve into a devoted fan and shaped his love of small-venue rock. He also recounts the 1996 Sex Pistols reunion at New York's Roseland Ballroom, an evening of full-on debauchery that ended with him and a friend finding a $50 bill on the floor — money that had fallen from the pockets of crowd surfers — and heading out to continue the night on someone else's dime. The image of punk-show attendees pouring out of Roseland and colliding with Broadway theatergoers on the sidewalk is one of the episode's most vivid moments. Beyond concerts, the conversation dives into Steve's YouTube channel, where he has spent years showcasing his vinyl and CD collection and visiting independent record stores during his travels for TV production work. He reflects on how the channel introduced him to a whole new community of fellow collectors — friendships that have taken him to record stores in Reno, Southern California, Long Island, and Charleston, South Carolina. Steve also discusses his filmmaking work, including the upcoming documentary about a former Hot Tuna drummer who is also a visual artist, and two music videos he directed for his friend's garage rock band Manflesh, one of which is set to screen at the Coney Island Film Festival. The episode wraps with a shared appreciation for the Wet Leg concert both Charles and Steve attended in 2025, and a laugh-out-loud detour into the chaotic legacy of G.G. Allin. BANDS: Agent Orange, David Lee Roth, Dramarama, Eagles, G.G. Allin & the Murder Junkies, Goldfinger, Hot Tuna, Jeff the Brotherhood, L7, Lady Gaga, Manflesh, Ram Jam, Sex Pistols, The Strokes, Thompson Twins, Van Halen, Wet Leg, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. VENUES:  Aragon Ballroom (Chicago), Chicago Stadium, Coney Island Film Festival, Exit (Chicago), Fast Lane (Asbury Park), Garden State Arts Center (New Jersey), Lounge Ax (Chicago), Madison Square Garden (New York), Maxwell's (Hoboken), Monster Music (Charleston), Roseland Ballroom (New York), Stone Pony (Asbury Park). PATREON:https://www.patreon.com/SeeingThemLivePlease help us defer the cost of producing this podcast by making a donation on Patreon.WEBSITE - BECOME A GUEST:https://seeingthemlive.com/Visit the Seeing Them Live website and click on the link to fill out a form so we can consider you as a guest on the show.INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/seeingthemlive/FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550090670708